[KMohanan]

Originally Posted by Turboholic

Contd…

In Pune the initial inspection revealed that the suspension had taken a hit and needed to be replaced. Other parts were the bumper, headlights, a/c condenser fan motor, fendor panel, Rear window glass, all tyres etc. Estimated damage was close to 1 lakh. My head started spinning and I almost fell to the ground.

My friend who was driving the car came ahead and offered to pay for the damages as he was driving the car. We decided to split the cost in between us. Finally the work started and parts (Most of them SGP) were ordered from Maruti. My mechanic decided that he would order the remaining parts as and when required, I had total faith in him and asked him to do work at his pace and replace whatever was needed to be replaced. He assured me that he would keep the budget at the minimal and also try to repair the parts which could be repaired to further keep the cost low without compromising on reliability and safety.

Slowly and steadily the repair work started and I was constantly in touch with the mechanic on the progress. I did not visit the MASS as I could not see my car in that state so I told him that once the car was back on its four wheels he could call me and I would visit. I got a call from him one fine day and he told me that the car was almost complete and he had taken it on an initial test drive. The car was running good and now he had to send it for the wheel alignment to check if the suspension work was good. I decided to visit the place and take a look at my car at the garage.

I reached the garage in an hour as I was all excited to see my car almost after 2 weeks. The work done was fabulous and all the replaced parts were kept in the boot. The mechanic explained to me what was complete and what was remaining. He also told me that if the wheel alignment report was good then it would take another 5 days to deliver the car. We took the car for wheel alignment and waited impatiently for the report. The report was Good. Now apart from little tidbits, a complete rubbing and polishing, interior detailing, rear window glass and rear parcel tray everything was done and the car would be delivered in the next 5 to 6 days.

To be contd…

Very sad but interesting story. Please let us know the expenses you had to incur for the car to bring back to original condition.

[Dev-Gun]

Hi Turboholic,

You seem to be a brave man...spending almost 1 lac (50k) after driving the car for about 2500kms...needs a brave heart...i liked the way uve drafted your Baleno's story.

I am also planning to buy a Baleno, the specs and details are mentioned below :

Model : 2004 dec
Color : Black Vxi
Registration : HR 26 (Gurgaon)
Done almost 62k kms...

I am planning to buy it from one of my friend...he had shown it to a mechanic and found out the engine is in a great condition...rest ill get a thorough check up done from MASS near Mahipalpur Delhi (Apra Motors)...

I am also planning to get CNG fitted in it after the papers are transferred.

Turboholic: Please share some important points i need to keep in my mind while buying this fantastic machine...

Fellow BHpians & Gurus: i would need your help in understanding if there will be any problems with getting CNG fitted ...I dont have any other option...as my run on an average is almost 100kms everyday...Cant really afford petrol ...

Regards,

Dev-Gun

Originally Posted by Turboholic

continued...

Next day I went to office as usual and was busy in my work. The car was still in my mind and I was wondering why hasn’t the sales girl called. I spoke to some friends and a service advisor of another MASS regarding the car, he told me that the car was regularly serviced at their MASS and it was in excellent condition. He also gave me some information on getting the best deals from True Value. After sometime I got a call from the sales girl but as I was in a meeting I told her that I would call back. Unfortunately the meeting went on till late in the evening and I couldn’t call her. The following couple of days I was tied up with a lot of work and the car got out of my mind.

On a Thursday (my weekly off) I got a call from the sales girl again and she told me that her manager wanted to meet me. Within the next 1 hr. I was at the dealership and negotiating further with the manager (typical sales guy who started giving me all the fundas). Within the next few minutes I got a call from a friend and came to know that they have to sell off the car at the earliest because of pressure from regional office. I knew at once that if I would negotiate carefully I could get the car at a good price and get sum of the minor changes which I wanted to be done to the car (The bumpers of the car had those ugly looking scratch guards on them which I didn’t like, if I would have removed them then the bumpers would have to be repainted, Plus I felt that as it has run 67k I might as well have the clutch replaced). So I increased the price by 10000 and added that the bumper work be done. The manager agreed to my condition if I added another 5000. It was a deal I paid the advance and asked them to start the work as I would require the delivery on next Thursday.

On Thursday I went there and took the delivery of the car, I was to do the transfer as I wanted it to be on the address of my native place. Drove all the way to my native place and the next day went to the RTO agent to get the transfer done. I was informed that the transfer would take 2 to 3 weeks as it was a smart card and not the RC book but with the receipt of transfer I could use the vehicle without any hassle. The transfer of insurance would take place after that. I was very happy to be the owner of my dream car which I had got at my price and in an excellent condition.

[Dev-Gun]

Hi Turboholic,

You seem to be a brave man...spending almost 1 lac (50k) after driving the car for about 2500kms...needs a brave heart...i liked the way uve drafted your Baleno's story.

I am also planning to buy a Baleno, the specs and details are mentioned below :

Model : 2004 dec
Color : Black Vxi
Registration : HR 26 (Gurgaon)
Done almost 62k kms...

I am planning to buy it from one of my friend...he had shown it to a mechanic and found out the engine is in a great condition...rest ill get a thorough check up done from MASS near Mahipalpur Delhi (Apra Motors)...

I am also planning to get CNG fitted in it after the papers are transferred.

Turboholic: Please share some important points i need to keep in my mind while buying this fantastic machine...this one is the same as yours...

Fellow BHpians & Gurus: i would need your help in understanding if there will be any problems with getting CNG fitted ...I dont have any other option...as my run on an average is almost 100kms everyday...Cant really afford petrol (70rs/ltr) ...

Regards,

Dev-Gun

Originally Posted by Turboholic

continued...

Next day I went to office as usual and was busy in my work. The car was still in my mind and I was wondering why hasn’t the sales girl called. I spoke to some friends and a service advisor of another MASS regarding the car, he told me that the car was regularly serviced at their MASS and it was in excellent condition. He also gave me some information on getting the best deals from True Value. After sometime I got a call from the sales girl but as I was in a meeting I told her that I would call back. Unfortunately the meeting went on till late in the evening and I couldn’t call her. The following couple of days I was tied up with a lot of work and the car got out of my mind.

On a Thursday (my weekly off) I got a call from the sales girl again and she told me that her manager wanted to meet me. Within the next 1 hr. I was at the dealership and negotiating further with the manager (typical sales guy who started giving me all the fundas). Within the next few minutes I got a call from a friend and came to know that they have to sell off the car at the earliest because of pressure from regional office. I knew at once that if I would negotiate carefully I could get the car at a good price and get sum of the minor changes which I wanted to be done to the car (The bumpers of the car had those ugly looking scratch guards on them which I didn’t like, if I would have removed them then the bumpers would have to be repainted, Plus I felt that as it has run 67k I might as well have the clutch replaced). So I increased the price by 10000 and added that the bumper work be done. The manager agreed to my condition if I added another 5000. It was a deal I paid the advance and asked them to start the work as I would require the delivery on next Thursday.

On Thursday I went there and took the delivery of the car, I was to do the transfer as I wanted it to be on the address of my native place. Drove all the way to my native place and the next day went to the RTO agent to get the transfer done. I was informed that the transfer would take 2 to 3 weeks as it was a smart card and not the RC book but with the receipt of transfer I could use the vehicle without any hassle. The transfer of insurance would take place after that. I was very happy to be the owner of my dream car which I had got at my price and in an excellent condition.

[wanderernomad]

@Dev there would be no issues if you fit a CNG, infact the Baleno is one of the few cars where fitting a cng doesnt take away the entire fun of driving provided you get the correct kit fitted. Look around here there are plenty of suggestions.
One thing would be to check the suspension. It is a costly affair. But apart from that there is absolutely no issues with the car. Go ahead and have fun. Drive safe.

[Turboholic]

Hi,

Apologies for not updating the thread for such a long time. I guess I have been enjoying the long drives and as I have also taken up a new job so that took all my time.

Have completed around 14500 kms in the last 10 months. The car is running really well and its only seen the MASS once for the regular servicing. A big to the Michelin xm1+ tyres, they are worth every penny they cost and much more.

Earlier I was using the car only as a weekend drive, however now it has become a daily drive. just came back from a long holiday in Konkan and with all the ghats and 100% ac on it returned a mileage of 14.75 km/litre.

A big thankyou to typeOnegative, madhukar_n, KMohanan, Dev-Gun for your comments. The question every body had was regarding the expense, I spent a little over Rs.110000 which includes repair, spares, tyres, transportation etc. The quality of work done is of the highest standard I did not face a single problem in the past 10 months and I would recommend Tune up Plus in Pune for all automobile related work.

@Dev-Gun: I will pm you the points to remember when buying a used Baleno will also update the thread with the same. Right now I am unable to locate the file on my computer.

cheers,

Turboholic.

[Dev-Gun]

Hi Wandernomad,

I would need your help in quoting a price for a Baleno...the specifications are :

Color : Black
Make : 2004 Dec
Registeration : Gurgaon (HR - 26 X ====)
1 New Tyre fitted last week (Appolo Accelere)
ODO : 85000 kms
Original Alloys
Rear spoiler
Overall condition is allrite other than :

4 tyres to be replaced (17200/-)
Servicing required (8000/-)
Windscreen replacement (6500 - 8000)
Headlights to be changed (20000)
few scratches on the rear door and left fender

The total expenditure will be approximately 55k after i purchase the car.

The price quoted was 1.5 which has come down to 1.4...I have quoted max 1.25...

I am very confused...should i look for other dealers who would have their commissions added to the price of the car and moreover i would not be sure of the handling and usage of the car...

The car i am talking about is a friend's car...who is a genuine guy...but would it be allrite spending 55k over it?? So if i take it for 1.4...it would cost me around 2 lacs...and then ill get cng fitted in the car...which would be 28k approximately... Grand total for this fantastic car will be 2.3 Lacs.

WOULD THIS BE A GOOD DEAL ??

Wandernomad & Gurus and my dear fellow BHpians : help !

Regards,

Dev-Gun

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

@Dev there would be no issues if you fit a CNG, infact the Baleno is one of the few cars where fitting a cng doesnt take away the entire fun of driving provided you get the correct kit fitted. Look around here there are plenty of suggestions.
One thing would be to check the suspension. It is a costly affair. But apart from that there is absolutely no issues with the car. Go ahead and have fun. Drive safe.

[wanderernomad]

@ dev: I would stick to a max quote of 1Lakh for the car. If its from a trusted source I would add another 10-15K tops. Overall after all the work, the car should cost you around 1.6-1.75 Max, that should give you an idea on how to place your bid. The original tyres have lasted the entire kms? If not please check when the tyres were changed last, my idea would be around 50K, if it was the case then the new set should not be worn out so early.
Servicing outside from a trusted mechanic will cost a lot less than 8000, and why do you need to replace the windscreen? When is the insurance due on the car?

[KMohanan]

Originally Posted by Dev-Gun

Hi Wandernomad,

WOULD THIS BE A GOOD DEAL ??

Wandernomad & Gurus and my dear fellow BHpians : help !

Regards,

Dev-Gun

Dev-Gun, It is better to buy a car which is in good condition and no major work is pending. It is not the cost of repair alone, lot of time and mental pain will be associated with each work that needs to be done. If you were in Kerala, I would have given my car for a much better price. But, Kerala and Delhi are too far....

[Dev-Gun]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

@Dev there would be no issues if you fit a CNG, infact the Baleno is one of the few cars where fitting a cng doesnt take away the entire fun of driving provided you get the correct kit fitted. Look around here there are plenty of suggestions.
One thing would be to check the suspension. It is a costly affair. But apart from that there is absolutely no issues with the car. Go ahead and have fun. Drive safe.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

@ dev: I would stick to a max quote of 1Lakh for the car. If its from a trusted source I would add another 10-15K tops. Overall after all the work, the car should cost you around 1.6-1.75 Max, that should give you an idea on how to place your bid. The original tyres have lasted the entire kms? If not please check when the tyres were changed last, my idea would be around 50K, if it was the case then the new set should not be worn out so early.
Servicing outside from a trusted mechanic will cost a lot less than 8000, and why do you need to replace the windscreen? When is the insurance due on the car?

Thanks for a prompt reply . I dont think he will settle down for 1.15 :( as there is a gentleman in his area who would most likely offer 1.3/1.4 for the baleno. I dont think there is any insurance left on the car...he hasnt changed the tyres so far, except one tyre which he changed last week. He lives in gurgaon and works in gurgaon...has gone to a few long trips on the car...

Thats a good idea, i can get the windscreen changed by claiming insurance, in that case i should not pay more than 2500/-.

Also, wanted to know if i get a good deal from Maruti True Value where in i will get a Baleno for about 2.4/2.5 in very good condition with one year Warranty and 3 free services. In that case the car's total value after including CNG will come to 2.7 lacs.

So, with True Value i should get a baleno for 2.3 - 2.5 + 30k (CNG) = 2.6 - 2.8

With the car in hand (friend's car) i will spend 1.4 + 55k + 30k (CNG) = 2.35

POSITIVE points of True Value :

1 year warranty
3 free services
Complete service history of the car
Much better condition
Less kms on ODO
Will not have to visit the garage to get the service/windscreen/tyres done

POSITIVE of buying the car in hand (friend's car):

Known owner
Getting the tyres changed of my choice (michellin XM1+ )
i can get the car serviced the way i want to
I am getting the model i wanted (black Vxi with oem alloys and spoiler)
Cant think of any more positives
Sure about the ODO reading (85kms)

NEGATIVES True Value:

No idea about the previous owner
Cant make much changes after spending on the amount of the car
Not very confident on the ODO reading
Will most likely get the black Lxi version for this price :(


NEGATIVES of buying the car in hand (friend's car):

Too many big scratches and a very small dent and the scratches have a coat of visible rust.
84k kms ODO reading
No proper service history
My friend's driving style is average (not too great)
Not sure on how many long trips have been done (it will be embarrassing to ask about it)
Car has been kept not so nicely as my friend is very careless

What should i choose now?
TRUE VALUE or the car IN HAND

I was also thinking of checking out the old Honda city...2000 or 2002 model...but haven't researched for it yet and not too sure about the pricing and after sale service.
Help me take a decision.

Thanks for you support.

Regards,

Dev-Gun

[wanderernomad]

After going through your detailed reply I think you have already answered most of your queries yourself. I would go for true value and if you look around You will find a better deal and maybe even the colour of your choice. 30K is too small a difference for all the differences you ahve mentioned.

[udaydesai]

Hey,
I am also in the Market looking for a used baleno, visited true value, there was one baleno of 2005 make lxi. Price quoted 2.19 lac

[Dev-Gun]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

After going through your detailed reply I think you have already answered most of your queries yourself. I would go for true value and if you look around You will find a better deal and maybe even the colour of your choice. 30K is too small a difference for all the differences you ahve mentioned.

Thank you for all your advice. Yesterday i had gone to check a Baleno from True Value, looked pretty decent. They quoted a price of 2.75 on road, i bargained, bargained and bargained and after about 1 hour of using my sales skills (been into sales for past 9.5 years now) they finally agreed to 2.25 on road. The specifications are :

Black Lxi (I wanted this color)
Model : 2005 April
ODO : 44216 (genuine with all service history)
4 (oem)tyres used mostly (spare tyre looks brand new, probably used for not more than 2/3k kms)

The owner of the car is a CEO of some organisation, he used to travel a lot thats the reason the car has done only 44k kms (thats what i was told by the True Value guys)

Should get the delivery by sunday.

Thank you for all your help !

Finally by sunday i will be Ballenoddddd.

Regards,

Dev-Gun

[KMohanan]

Originally Posted by udaydesai

Hey,
I am also in the Market looking for a used baleno, visited true value, there was one baleno of 2005 make lxi. Price quoted 2.19 lac

Except for the higher price of spare parts, Baleno is a fantastic car. My official trips to hill top of 150 kms is effortless in my baleno. Good choice. Look for a well maintained one.

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by udaydesai

Hey,
I am also in the Market looking for a used baleno, visited true value, there was one baleno of 2005 make lxi. Price quoted 2.19 lac

You gotta be kidding. I will sell you my 2006 December Baleno VXi if you pay me 2 lakhs.

Please look around. I am sure there will be lot of options available. Baleno is a lovely car and I enjoyed driving it for close to 5 years but fact is it just does not have a good resale value. Just before buying my Magnum last month I got my Baleno valued and the best price I was offered for a very well maintained, Stanley leather 2006 December Vxi with 55k on the ODO was 1.5 lakhs.

[wanderernomad]

Congrats, enjoy your new ride. Its a fantastic car and you become addicted.